Cuban wrestler Gabriel Rosillo began his competitive journey with a victory today as he seeks to defend his crown in the 97-kilogram division at the World Wrestling Championships, being held in this city through September 21.

Rosillo, the reigning world champion from the 2023 tournament in Belgrade and a bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, made his debut in the preliminary round on Friday with an 8-0 victory over Sweden's Aleksandar Stjepanetic.

The 26-year-old, who is undefeated in the current international season across six matches, is one of the island's greatest hopes for winning a medal at the world wrestling tournament.

In the round of 16, the Cuban will face 22-year-old Estonian Richard Karelson, who defeated Korea's Minho Lee 7-0 in his first match.

In 2025, Rosillo has accumulated 47 points scored and only one point allowed in his official matches, and he claimed the title in his weight class at the Pan American championship held in Mexico last May.

The last appearance of his first opponent dated back to May 2024, a year in which he finished with a record of five wins and four losses, without any notable results.